


Crossing Multiverses

by Crystalline_Witch



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Confused Barry, Lots of emotional stuff, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Season/Series 02, Steve Rogers is Done With Your Bullshit, Stuff's About to Get Crazy Soon, Wormhole Shenanigans, multi-chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-08-14 11:11:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8011420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalline_Witch/pseuds/Crystalline_Witch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry Allen—the fastest man alive—creates a wormhole and finds himself stuck right in the middle of Steve Rogers' plan to break his team out of jail.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wormhole

Steve slipped the package into the mailbox. He hoped it would get to Tony in time. He flagged down a taxi and got inside, making sure to pull his baseball cap low over his eyes. He quietly told the driver the address to the hotel he’s taken up residence in and leaned back in his seat, eyes watching the people passing by on the street.

Twenty minutes later, the taxi pulled up in front of the hotel and stopped to let Steve out. He payed the driver, tipping him well, and got out of the car. He walked through the doors of the tall building and towards the elevators, head held low, eyes scanning the crowd cautiously. Thankfully, Steve managed to make it into an elevator without being identified.

Once he stood inside, he pressed the button for his floor and shuffled into the corner. A few people joined him in the elevator, crowding around in the small space. Steve’s hands began to tremble a little and he placed them in his pockets. He became more and more nervous as the elevator stopped at several floors and minutes ticked by.

Finally, it stopped on his floor and he squeezed through the crowd of people and into the hallway. His legs picked up their pace as he moved down the hall to his room. Steve pulled the cardkey out of his pocket and it took him a few shaking tries to open up the door. Once inside, he closed the door quickly and took a few deep, steadying breaths. 

He had a plan, one that he was not entirely confident in. But it’s all he had now. With half of the Avengers in prison and the other half gone who knows where, he hasn’t got much of a choice. There’s got to be a way to get his team—his friends—out of that prison.

Steve sat on the end of his freshly made bed and pulled a small flip phone out of his pocket. He opened it up and typed in a number that belonged to someone who can help him, someone as off the grid as he is. The phone dialed for a few tense seconds before it was picked up.

“Coulson, it’s time.”

~~~~

Barry had done this plenty of times before. The Accelerator was like a second home to him. He had completed the circle plenty of times before, going around and around until reaching the desired speed to create the wormhole. Yet every time he entered, the Flash felt a sense of anxiety. Time was not one thing that is easily manipulated, he knew that from experience. However, changing a point so set in stone like his mother’s death would change the world that he knew. Barry would never go to live with Joe and Iris, or visit his father in prison. Or even go down that path of police work like he had done before. He could be a completely different person for all he knew. 

It was a risk he was willing to take. To see his mother again. To reunite the Allen family. His father wouldn’t spend years in Iron Heights, and wouldn’t die at the hands of his greatest enemy. He could save everyone. This was a risk he would take. For everyone he loved. 

Bright colors flashed in his vision, and time and space fly by as if he was experiencing his life all over again. To the past. His eyes got caught on a certain color, catching him off guard. Before he could set himself down the right path again, the wormhole ended. Appearing out of nowhere in a new earth, the fastest man alive collided with a wall.

The world went black.

____

A helicopter flew over the gray ocean, holding a parcel full of boxes upon boxes of supplies. It reached a large helipad and released its cargo on the designated loading area before landing in its own space. The helicopter landed and the pilot turned off the engine. The stormy gray sky swirled above; the violent waves reflecting its attitude as they crashed into the base.

A small group of guards began to unload the boxes, carrying them down a stairway to the prison below. The guards stacked the heavy boxes in a supply room in neat rows. After all of the boxes had been taken down, the guards took a short break in the hallway outside the room before they had to start unloading the supplies.

Meanwhile, Steve Rogers sat inside a box in the supply room, waiting for the right moment to get out and enact his plan. He couldn’t wait too long; he would need to incapacitate the pilot so he could use the helicopter. After a quiet minute, he ripped open the top flaps of the box and emerged as silently as he could.

He stepped out of the box and tiptoed towards the door, watching the guards through the small window in it. They were still hanging out in the hallway, oblivious to the super soldier lurking within the room. He pressed himself against the wall next to the door and prepared for the guards to come in.

A few silent, tense minutes later, the door handle turned. Steve took a deep breath and the pilot only managed to open the door halfway when Steve punched him in the face, immediately knocking him out. The guards behind him, realizing what just happened, drew their guns and walked carefully into the supply room.

Steve hid behind a row of boxes as they entered. The guards fanned out and began to thoroughly search the room. A guard made her way to Steve’s hiding spot and he readied himself for a fight.

The guard peeked behind the row of boxes and spotted Steve. She tried to shout, but Steve cut her off with a swift, incapacitating kick to the gut. She fell over backwards and Steve ran the other way as the guards started to converge on the area.

Another guard saw Steve and began to shoot. Steve grabbed a box and threw it at the guard. It knocked the guard out. He dove behind a stack of boxes as the guards started shooting at him. A box next to him lay open, its contents spilled across the floor. Within the contents, he noticed a small sheet of metal. He grabbed it and turned to face the guards.

It felt… strange to use a shield again. Nonetheless, it’s all he had at the moment. Using the metal to shield himself, he moved towards the guards. One of the bullets ricocheted off the metal and hit a guard, piercing through his armor. Only two guards were left. Steve broke into a run and rushed the guard closest to him, knocking her to the floor.

He got back up and ran towards the last guard, who was finished off with a solid kick to the head. Dropping the metal sheet, Steve made his way to the door. He peered outside, watching for any sign of movement in the hallway. No one appeared for a few moments and Steve slipped out into the hallway.

Steve made it about halfway down the hall when a flash of bright light momentarily blinded him. He kneeled down on the floor and covered his eyes, his heart racing. Once the light subsided, Steve stared at what was before him; a young man, dressed in a bright red suit, lay passed out on the floor.

He was speechless. Who is this? Why is he here? Most importantly, where did he come from? But Steve didn’t have time to think about these questions. Footsteps began to sound behind him, at the end of the hall.

Without a second thought, Steve grabbed the man around the waist and hauled him into the nearest room, which was full of the guards’ gear and weapons. He laid the red-suited man on the floor in the corner and stood next to the door, ready to fight anyone who opened the door. No one came, and the footsteps arrived and passed by.

With a sigh of relief, Steve turned to the man on the floor. He kneeled down next to him and tried waking him by shaking him gently by the shoulders. The mystery man’s eyes fluttered open.

~~~~

Pain flooded his thoughts. Every breath felt like a knife stabbing into his lungs. By experience, he knew that it wouldn’t last very long. Yet it didn’t do much to fight the pain. Movement made the pain grow worse, slowing the progress of healing in his ribs. The odd thing about fast healing was that he could actually feel his bones mending. It wasn’t exactly something someone could get used too.

His breathing slowed from his labored speed. Barry had to focus. Cautious eyes peered up past his lashes, the lights from the ceiling of the room flooding his sight like a tsunami. Instinctively, they shut in response. Then again quickly opened at the sight of the man looking worriedly down at him.

The world slowed down as the speed force within him came to life. Electricity sparked in his eyes. Before the other man could register, Barry was at the other side of the room. Electricity sparked and a red streak followed in his wake.

The world sped up again.

Almost immediately, Barry dropped against the wall with a groan of agony. It seemed that he was not completely healed yet. It also seemed that he was in fact not back at his childhood house as he had aimed to be. The Flash’s eyes narrowed at the man across the room. Something had caused a disruption during his travel back.

It seemed as if he was yet again in another world. Third time that has happened. One time he had a way back, and another he had help with a certain alien being. Sooner or later his luck would run out. But one thing was clear through all of those times.

The Flash had to get home. Barry Allen had to get home.

“Who are you?” the scarlet speedster asked through clenched teeth, his breathing hitched has his gloved hand tapped a spot on his chest. It must be where his rib broke. “And where am I?”

Certainly, both world traveling events, he had a smooth way to get to know those who lived there. Dr. Wells from Earth 2 had come on his own. The Keira from her world had fallen out of a building and of course him being the good ol’ hero caught her. There wasn’t anything like that here. Only a man watching him while unconscious. How creepy.

____

Steve was shocked when the young man seemingly disappeared right in front of him. One moment, he was there, and the next, he was all the way on the other side of the room, groaning in pain. His mind raced as he questioned what was happening. He was clearly some sort of super-human; there was no other explanation for what just happened.

Perhaps it was teleportation? The ability to bend reality? Whatever it was, Steve couldn’t explain it. This was the last thing he needed right now.

The man started questioning Steve and he noticed that the mystery man was clearly in pain. If he broke something or had a concussion, he’d need medical attention. That would complicate things even further and oh man, this was probably not going to end well.

“I’m Cap—” Steve hesitates in his introduction. That’s not who he is anymore. He can’t live up to the perfect standard everyone expects; he can’t be the same Captain everyone knows and loves.

“Steve. Steve Rogers. You’re in the Raft, a prison base used by U.S. Marshals,” he said, wondering if he should also state that it’s Earth, in case this guy is Asgardian. He decided against it; the young man definitely didn’t look like he could be from Asgard.

“And who are you? How did you get here?” he asked.

~~~~

“What? A prison base? How did I…?” The dimension hopper frowned and scanned the room. This place was certainly one hell of a place to arrive. He also noted the man’s hesitation in his introduction, but didn’t press any farther. Barry knew that he shouldn’t be in the base, but if this guy worked here, maybe he could get some help back. It seemed like Barry wouldn’t get to go and save his mother as soon as he thought he would.

It wasn’t like he had a limited time. The past stays in the past. Always waiting for him. That being said, the Central City hero did not want to stay in an Earth where he did not belong. Sooner or later the Time Wraiths would appear to come after him for disobeying the laws of time. Although, he was going to do break the laws before… The masked man shook his head and pulled himself to his feet. His ribs were pulling themselves together. He could handle his pain now.

A chuckle escaped the man. It seemed this was happening again. Pulling his headgear off, it fell to his shoulders like a hoodie’s hood. It revealed short brown tousled hair, and a partially nerdy looking young man. A small smile on his face.

“I got here by creating a wormhole and using it as an attempt to get into the past in order to save my mother. However, it seems that I have unknowingly vibrated at a different frequency. Which brought me to this...Earth.” it didn’t seem like the man completely understood how The Flash had gotten there. If he was honest, the newcomer wasn’t either. With a few casual steps toward, he extended a red gloved hand.

“My name is Barry Allen, and I am the fastest man alive.”


	2. Save the Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A time for explanations and urgency

Steve didn’t know how to respond. He just shook the man—Barry’s—hand. The fastest man alive? He must have super-speed. Steve would question the possibility of that, but he had seen so much already—men who could shrink, transform, and summon lightning, women who could control minds and use magic—at this point nothing was really surprising anymore.

He wondered for a second if Barry’s power was related to Pietro. If it was, maybe this man could shed some light on how the Maximoff twins got their powers. But now was not the time to think about that, now Steve needed to focus on completing his plan to save his friends.

“You created a wormhole? Do you have any other powers?” he asked. Hopefully Barry could help him follow through with the plan.

~~~~

The Flash’s eyes narrowed a fraction. “Well, you know. Super speed and all that comes with it. Basically; The ability to toss lightning, accelerated healing, phasing,travel across dimensions, time-travel…” He trailed off in thought one brow raised. “Though that last two two hard to do.” Barry examined the man in front of him. There didn’t seem to be a badge anywhere on him, Those who would work in a prison would have a badge. It seems this man didn’t work there.

“You’re not a police officer are you?” It was more like a statement than a question. By that reasoning, this man had to be either a visitor or a prisoner… Or someone else. There was no visitor badge either.

“Look. No matter the Earth, I’m bound to follow the laws. Being an officer is my day job.” Barry was smart enough to know that leaving out that he was a forensic scientist would be his best bet. “So you’d better have a good reason.” It was a threat. Taking down criminals was both his day and night job. There was little room to allow this man to escape.

____

Steve took a few moments to wrap his head around the powers that Barry had described to him. The super speed could definitely help him out here. He was relieved to find out that Barry had accelerated healing; he wouldn’t have to worry about him needing medical attention.

“You’re right, I’m not an officer. I’m not quite sure who I am, but that doesn’t matter right now. And as much as I hate breaking laws, my friends need me. They shouldn’t be in here,” Steve said, hoping it could convince the other man.

Talking about the team reminded Steve of his plan and the urgency of his current situation. He scanned the room and his eyes landed upon a row of clear riot shields lined up against the far wall. Steve almost walked up to them and picked one up, but he hesitated. Holding a shield just wouldn’t feel right. Instead, he picked up a semi-automatic handgun and checked it for ammunition.

“I’ve got very little time here, Barry. Now you can help me, or you can try to leave. It’s your choice,” Steve said as he strode over to the door and stood next to it, prepared to open it and go bust out his friends.

~~~~

Barry didn’t entirely like the man’s excuse. Plenty of people wishing to break out their friends would say the same thing. What makes them any different to where they don’t deserve to be behind bars? The younger of the two crossed his arms as the man began to walk out with a handgun. Barry’s brows dropped and in a flash, the gun vanished from Steve’s hand. On the other side of the room, Barry dropped the gun on the floor. It clattered against the tile and a silence filled the room soon after.

“There is a third choice. I stop you from committing a criminal act.” The speedster’s arms were crossed as he approached the man. He wasn’t moving fast, instead each step was taken as if going on a leisurely walk. “I know where you come from. My father was placed in prison for a crime I know he didn’t commit.” Barry’s voice wavered, the image of his father being murdered in front of his very eyes was practically burned into the back of his eyelids. Forcing the memory back, the Flash looked after the man, eyes searching. He certainly didn’t look like he would break into a prison without a well founded reason.

“I could have broken him out of prison. With these powers, I could have saved my father from sitting in a cell for several years. I could have gotten him out of prison.” There was a pause, anger lingering in his voice. Barely a year before he was killed, and barely a year of freedom that he rightfully deserved. “But I didn’t. Because what if I had gotten him out. What then? He would live his life running from the police. There wouldn’t be any peace in his life.” His jaw clenched as he stared back at the man. “Do your friends deserve that? Get them out the right way, Steve.” Unknowingly, there was a hint of begging that the young man echoed. His own feelings filling his voice. Yet, he was unaware of Steve and his team’s situation.

_______

Steve gritted his teeth when the handgun disappeared from his hand. His blue eyes watched Barry drop the gun and walk towards him. The young man was starting to get on Steve’s nerves a bit. There was limited time to act and he needed to get the plan moving.

But Barry’s speech got Steve thinking. Should he be here? The team’s been through so much lately with the accords and Bucky’s situation. Maybe the Avengers really were a threat to the safety of Earth and the people on it. Maybe it would be best if they were all in this facility, locked away where they couldn’t hurt anyone.

But the Avengers are people too. Sure, they have abilities most could only dream of, but they have lives too. Their lives are difficult, that’s a given, but they deserve to live them like anyone else. Although recent events have caused Steve to loosen his steadfast grip on his beliefs and morals, he knew one thing for sure. Everyone deserves the liberty to find happiness in their lives.

“Look, kid, I don’t expect you to understand, but I need to do this. The right way isn’t exactly a viable option. Not many are willing to side with superheroes after Sokovia,” Steve said, furrowing his eyebrows.

~~~~

The youngest of the two tilted his head, mouth parted in a ‘o’ shape. “Superheroes? Sokovia?” The Flash mused, running a hand through his hair. “By what you are saying, it's as if you’re a superhero… are you?” The man in the red suit shifted his position, a bitter laugh escaped him. “If you and your friends are superheroes, why are they in prison?”

Sure some police don’t like heroes, or vigilantes like the Arrow. But the police at Central City Police Department liked him, and by what he saw of Kara’s world--her police were nowhere close to putting her in jail. There had to be a reason behind everything.

For some reason, Barry couldn't bring himself to feel urgency. He felt numb. Steve on the other hand, sure seemed to be in a hurry./p>

______

Steve was surprised that Barry didn’t know who he was for a moment. He didn’t know much about wormholes, but maybe Barry came from a different universe, one where the Avengers didn’t exist. But he didn’t have the time to look for that answer. His friends needed him.

“I’m-I was Captain America. A super soldier created seventy years ago. My friends were imprisoned because of a fight we had with some other heroes. They sided with the people who wanted to take away our freedoms and control us, but we didn’t. None of them deserve to be here,” he recapped the events as he grabbed another handgun.

Before Barry could take it again, Steve opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, searching for guards. One turned down the hall on the left and he shot them in the arm. The guard dropped to the floor and Steve walked down the hallway, even more determined to get his friends out now.

~~~~

Barry blinked once- twice- three times before he let out a hesitant laugh. “Heh...Wait! Seventy years ago!?” But the man had already left the room.

Mouth parted, he pulled his hood back up to cover his face. If this man is or was a superhero, then Steve could help him out. Him or his friends. They were his best bet to crossing into another breach to get back into his world. With that thought, Barry hurried after Steve. A red blur arrived at the Captain’s side as soon as he shot the guard in the arm. A dirty look was shot the older man’s way. While Barry could appreciate him not killing the guard, it also frustrated him that the man was hurt for doing their job. He pushed his personal issues aside, knowing he had to stick with Steve.

“I know this shouldn’t be my issue right now, but how are you not old?” The younger man asked, keeping up with relative ease. This man had aura about him that Barry couldn't help but trust. As if he was one of the commanding officers in the precinct.

The Flash’s eyes flickered forward towards two large doors. “Your friends are in there aren’t they?” At another glance Barry could tell that there was some kind of lock on the door that didn’t seem passable without a bomb or passcode. He knew it would be better to gain a quick favor. Besides, if this man really was a criminal, Barry could easily stop him. “I guess you’ll owe me one, then.”

Barry left the old man to his confusion, and flashed to the door. Outstretching his hand, it began to vibrate at a high frequency. Slowly, he moved his hand down towards the lock. It phased past what would have stopped a normal hand. There was a large amount of rattling coming from the lock, like bits and pieces being forced apart. A click resounded through the hallway and the door was unlocked.

Spinning on the balls of his feet, the Flash faced Captain America with a fierce look. “You’d better be a superhero, or I won’t hesitate to turn you to the police.” With his threat lingering in the air, the man in red took a step to the side and allowed the man to walk in. The doors slid open, revealing a room with several cages lining the circular walls.

“Wow. This is better than the Pipeline.” Barry breathed, ducking in after Steve. Sure the pipeline could hold nearly any metahuman, but this place looked like it could hold anyone. Barry was about to make note off all the features before stopping himself.

If he had gone back in time to save his mother like he had intended to do, there wouldn’t be any need for a Pipeline. There wouldn’t be any metahumans to hold. It was a sombering thought. The world that he had known would be gone if Barry went back to save his mother. Was it still something to toss away for his family to be whole again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, this was co-written with a friend of mine, this work is also posted on fanfiction.net by our joint account, TeamMultiverse.


	3. Escape Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's just say nothing ever really goes as planned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update; I've been fighting writer's block 24/7. We're trying to make chapters longer, so another update will take a little while, sorry!

Steve was mildly surprised that Barry didn’t try to stop him again and instead walked alongside him towards the end of the corridor. He glanced at the young man as he talked. Steve almost didn’t answer his question about his age, but thought it would be best to keep on somewhat nice terms with him.

“Flew a plane into some ice. S.H.I.E.L.D dug me out a couple years ago,” he tried to keep the emotion out of his voice. It was hard to think about that day, especially since Peggy had passed away so recently. A lump formed in his throat and he forced it back, trying to focus on what was happening here and now.

Before Steve could respond to Barry’s comment about owing him, the young man rushed forward. He took the door’s lock in his hand and a discordant rattling erupted and echoed around the hallway. The door clicked open.

Steve didn’t respond to Barry’s threat, nor did he ask about the lock. At this point, it didn’t really matter. All he cared about was getting everyone out. He stepped into the room and stopped, hidden in the shadows in the entrance. This was it. If he continued, his friends would be free. They’d be breaking the law, but they’d be free.

After just a second’s hesitation, he stepped forward a few more steps. Sam, whose cell was directly facing the entrance, turned and smiled at Steve as he approached.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Steve told his friend, smiling.

~~~~

It was not too hard to release the others from their cells. They didn’t recognize him, so it was more than likely that he was not on his earth. A bit was explained to Barry as they exited the building. Why they were imprisoned, and why Steve went to great lengths to save them. While the multiverse traveler didn’t completely agree with getting them out this way--They were the only people who he had contact with that could possibly help him. It was just looking at what he valued the most. Morals or getting back to his world. It wasn’t that they were killing people either, so it wasn't too bad…Right?

A long spiral staircase lead to the top of the building where a helicopter lay in wait for them. Or that was what Steve said. The group began climbing the staircase, and one would think that with a group of metahumans or superheroes, it shouldn’t take too long. 

But they were going too slow for him.

“Oh, right. Introductions. So, ya know; Barry Allen-- Fastest man alive… I’ll see you guys at the top~” With his singsong introduction over with, the man blurred up the stairs. Yellow eletricity coming off in waves as his body came into friction. 

He arrived at the top a few seconds later, pushing the door to the top of the building open, ready to take on the world and get home.

There was an issue. 

This wasn’t the top of a building. 

“Why? In God’s green Earth…” The Flash looked out at an ocean. If life was a cartoon, Barry was sure that his jaw would be at the floor. Sure there was a helipad-- But in the MIDDLE of the ocean? He stared out at the waves, completely dumbfounded by the concept of being under the ocean the entire time. Perhaps that was the reason for the lack of windows.

The man in the suit turned as the door opened from the stairwell. “This prison base is in the middle of the ocean. What. The. Hell?” He asked in a small voice, disbelieving.

____

Steve was leading the group up the staircase to the helipad when Barry shot past him up to the top. Steve stepped aside to let Sam, Clint, Scott, and Wanda walk past. The three men kept going, but Wanda stood a few stairs below, her eyes distant. Worried, Steve walked down to see what was troubling her.

“Hey, everything okay?” Steve asked.

“That guy who came with you, he-” Wanda didn’t finish her sentence; she just looked down at her feet.

It took Steve a moment to realize why she was getting so worked up.

“I know, it’s okay,” Steve pulled her into a hug.

The vest they had placed on her to keep her from using her powers was still on so she couldn’t return the hug, but she appreciated it nonetheless. A few tears rolled down her cheeks as she murmured about missing her brother.

The blinker on the vest began to blink rapidly and beep periodically. Wanda pulled away from Steve and tried to calm down. The blinker slowed down and the beeping stopped after a few tense seconds.

“What was that?” Steve asked.

“I’m sorry, I lost control for a bit,” Wanda apologized.

“It’s okay, let’s just keep moving,” Steve reassured her.

She nodded and followed Steve as he continued up the stairs. They soon reached the others, who were lined up outside the door behind Barry. Barry seemed to be in shock, staring at the group incredulously. Steve walked up to him and looked at him as he said:

“What? It’s the safest place on Earth for a bunch of quote unquote dangerous people,” Steve said.

He continued out onto the helipad. The rest of his team followed, excited to get out of that terrible place.

~~~~

Eventually Barry had gotten over his initial surprise and entered the helicopter. He took the seat across from Wanda, his eyes scanning across the group. It was the biggest collection of heroes that he has seen. If this was just half of the group, that’d be an impressive sight to see them all together.

The first man that Barry had seen in that room was the man that went by Falcon. Previous military man, seemed like a cool guy.

Another man by the name of Hawkeye, who was their bow and arrow sharp shooter. It seemed every superhero group had a hero like that. The Flash was reminded of The Green Arrow, admittedly he was much nicer seeming than Oliver.

The next man seemed out of place in all of them. Apparently he was Ant-man. Which wasn’t the kind of name to strike fear into the hearts of evil. In fact, Barry had to refrain from laughing. The man seemed at a greater unease compared to the others. As if he was a regular man, not quite used to the superhero life.

Finally the lone woman of the group. Scarlet-witch. She had downcast eyes and faint tear streaks down her face. This woman wore a vest like they would put on those in insane asylums so they couldn’t hurt themselves. Although, Barry wasn’t sure if it was for her good, or the good of the guards. But if she was a hero, then she didn't need anything restricting her.

“Here.” He offered in a soft voice, pulling off his mask to reveal the entirety of his face. Scooting forward in his seat, Barry began helping the vest off of her. Hands moving in a blur, the vest was off within a split second. Leaving Wanda free to move her arms according to her will. The speedster gave the woman a grin and he sat back in his seat, putting the belt on. This was in fact his first helicopter ride, better be safe than sorry!

“So uh, Steve.” Berry started, turning his head to the side to give him his attention. “Since you kinda owe me one, how do you feel about helping me get home?”

___________

Steve sat in the pilot’s seat of the helicopter and started up the engine as the rest of the group piled into the back. They introduced themselves a little and sat in the seat lined along the back.

Wanda sat across from Barry and she kept her eyes on the floor, trying to keep herself from breaking down. Her emotions swelled in her chest and her hands began to heat with her magic. She stopped it from growing as quickly as she could; she didn’t want to start anything right now while they were in the middle of escaping.

Barry reached across to Wanda and she finally found the courage to look at him. Thankfully, he didn’t look very similar to Pietro. If he had, Wanda would’ve probably lost control, right then and there.

The vest was off her faster than she could have imagined and she could finally move her arms. She sighed in relief; that vest was extremely uncomfortable. Wanda stretched her arms and fingers. She muttered a thanks to Barry before casting her eyes away, towards the windshield where she could see the stormy sky.

Steve was clicking buttons and flipping little triggers when Barry spoke to him. He glanced back at the man before returning to the dashboard. Once the helicopter lifted into the air, Steve responded.

“Of course, as long as you know how to do it. None of us here are scientists by any means.”

The helicopter lifted high above the ground and Steve began to steer it westwards, towards the States.

“Where exactly are we going?” Sam called up to Steve.

“I don’t know yet,” Steve said back.

“We can go to my farm,” Clint chimed in, “Plenty of landing space and it’s technically off the grid.”

“Alright,” Steve confirmed.

~~~~

The landing in the fields next to Clint’s house could have been smoother, but Barry wasn’t one to complain. There had been quick introductions to Hawkeye’s family and his wife and children went out back to work on their garden while the group of superheroes talked.

Sitting at the dinner table surrounded by the group, a blank sheet of paper and a red crayon had been set on the table for Barry to do his explanations. Clint’s daughter was more than happy to let him borrow her drawing utensils.

Once everyone was seated, Barry began. First, he drew a circle at the top of the paper with ‘E-1’ within the circle. Then another circle with ‘E-2’ in it, and even one more with ‘E-3’. Then below, two untitled circles. Once his mediocre artistry was over and done with the Flash rotated the paper so they could all see. “Explaining this once again…” Barry whispered to himself, barely hearable to the others. Then gesturing with the crayon, the traveler pointed the tip to ‘E-1’“Believe it or not, there is more than one Earth. I mean, we all occupy the same space, but each Earth vibrates at a different frequency so we cannot see or touch each other.” He explained as simply as possible. After all, Steve said they none of them were scientists.

Tapping E-1 he continued. “E-1 stands for Earth One; which is my home and the center of the multiverse and the access point to all other earths in existence. Then there is ‘E-2’ which means Earth Two and is something similar to my home. The something that is different is an event that altered the course of history. Uh- for example,” Barry moved the crayon down to a unlabeled circle. “Hypothetically, there is a world where...let's say the Nazis won the war, or JFK wasn’t assassinated. Those are all changes.” Moving the crayon to Earth Two, he tapped it twice. “In this world, Dr. Wells was never replaced by a certain evil speedster and had created the Particle Accelerator without any uncontrolled explosions, thus completely expanding the technology of their time. Which was amazing to go see myself... I mean I went there to stop Zoom, but their world was so vastly advanced that I-” Barry paused before giving them a sheepish look. “I guess none of that is relevant.”

He motioned over to E-3. “As you can assume, it represents Earth 3. Where another Flash takes residence. Who also looks like my deceased father…” His eyes dropped to the paper and his lips pressed together. “Also not relevant.” Barry digressed, dropping the crayon on the table. 

The Flash cleared his throat and continued. “I’ll have to reach a high enough velocity to achieve enough speed force to create another hole in the dimension. The issue is, that it isn’t an easy thing to do. I’m also not entirely certain that I can create another breach.” The hero rested back against the seat and sighed deeply. “Time traveling and breaches are two different things. Although one got me here while I intended to time travel, they don't usually go hand and hand.” Barry went quiet, brows knitted together in deep thought. He could try and do what he did before, but there was no certainty that it could happen again. No one could possibly know the outcome. The laws of the universe did not seem all cut and dry.

“I’ve given you guys a lot to think about. I’m sorry.” Just knowing the existence of other Earths must be hard to handle, but everything else must be even tougher to swallow. “You guys should talk.” Barry gingerly got out of his chair and left the room, walking normally to the exit. The speedster didn’t go too far, and instead took up residence of a rocking chair on the porch. 

He thought of Iris, and how much she’d love to see this beautiful home and land surrounding it.

______

Steve’s team sat quietly as Barry explained. Steve had a very difficult time wrapping his head around the theory of multiple Earths. When Barry mentioned the fact that there could be an Earth where the Nazis won the war, his breath hitched in his throat. Impossible… there’s no way there could be an Earth like that… he thought, his eyebrows furrowing deeply.

Steve waved away the thought, trying to keep his attention on Barry’s explanation. He left and Steve’s team sat in silence for nearly a minute, everyone mulling over the explanation.

“I’m sure as hell no scientist, but it seems pretty legitimate,” Sam broke the silence.

“I dunno, sounds kinda like a conspiracy theory to me,” Scott said, shaking his head.

“If he is from Earth One, which Earth are we from?” Wanda asked.

“The important question is how are we getting him home?” Clint pointed out, shifting in his seat.

“Steve, what d’you think?” Sam said, snapping his friend out of a trance.

Steve rubbed his jaw thoughtfully and cleared his throat. His friends all sat on the edge of their seats, waiting for his opinion on the situation. He glanced around at their worried and slightly confused faces. Reaching across the table, he grabbed the paper with Barry’s drawing and briefly went over the information again in his head.

“I think it’s reasonable,” he began, “I mean, we know there’s more than one dimension, with Asgard and all, so why couldn’t there be more than one Earth?”

“How does Thor travel here from Asgard?” Sam asked.

“Wasn’t there a bridge or something?” Steve responded, searching his memory.

“Yeah, it was a wormhole-thingamajig. Right now, we need to help Barry make something like that,” Clint offered.

Steve wished they had a scientist or someone here that could help them out. Bruce could probably start doing some sciencey math problems or something and figure it all out. Hell, for a second, Steve thought about having Tony around. If he were here and had access to his lab and stuff, he could probably build something that would help. But Bruce is off who-knows-where and Tony, well, would he even want to help?

“We should ask him how we can help… he got us out of the Raft and we should help him as much as we can,” Wanda told the others, fiddling with the tablecloth.

“I agree. We may not fully understand it, but we need to do what we can,” Steve said, standing up.

He headed towards the porch and the rest of the team followed. They shuffled out of the door single file and stood around on the wooden deck. Scott, Sam, Clint, and Wanda leaned against the railing and Steve stood in front of Barry.

“We kind of understand the whole several-Earth-theory-thing and we want to help any way we can,” He said.

~~~~

His thoughts had transformed into something darker during the time Barry had left the other heroes to talk. His daydreams about Iris untimely led to what he had said to her before leaving his earth.

“We just won, we just beat Zoom,” Barry spoke in a hurt voice, eyes looking at Iris’s in a plead for answers. “Why does it feel like we lost?”

Her own eyes stared back in a comforting way. “Because you’ve lost a lot in your life, Barry. More than most.” She shifted her position to get slightly closer, eyes returning to their fixated gaze on Barry. “But, maybe you and me… Seeing where this thing goes.” She gave him a small smile. “Maybe that can give you something for a change.”

After a long moment, a blissful smile made its way to Barry’s face. “That is all I’ve ever wanted to hear you say.” He responded, gently shaking his head from side to side.”And I wish that I was in a place where I could try that with you.” He watched Iris’s eyes drop to the porch stairs on which they sat. “But I feel so hollowed out inside right now. I feel more broken than I’ve ever felt in my life…” He inhaled and continued in his solemn tone. “If I am going to ever be worth anything to you, I need to fix what is wrong with me. I need to find some...Some peace.” The man swallowed a lump in his throat and continued to watch Iris’s face.

Despite that, she smiled and leaned closer. “Barry,” She began, “Listen to me, you waited for me for years. You let me get to a place where this is possible. So I am going to do the same for you.” Her eyes did not leave Barry’s. His face revealed the agony that he was going through, the downturn of his lips, the slight wrinkle around his eyebrows. Especially his eyes, that conveyed brokenness that one could feel by just gazing upon them. “Wherever you need to go, whatever you need to do--Do it.” There was certainty in her voice. Certain that Barry could find peace. “And when you get back, I’ll be here.”

“Okay.” Came a whisper.

“I love you, Barry.” Then came a moment where in a moment of his life, he found happiness However small that morsel may be.

“I love you too, and I always will.”

Barry watched her enter the house that he grew up in since the age of eleven, and in which his friends licked their wounds after an eventful race with Zoom. Wherever he had to go, whatever he had to do. He’d do it. Not just for his family, but also for Iris. So he could be in a position where he would be worth something to her. 

The sound of footsteps awoke the metahuman from his memories; he looked up at the group. At their announcement, a look of soft gratitude crossed Barry’s face. “Thank you.” His voice was eerily similar to what it was during his conversation with Iris. Realizing this, he cleared his throat and continued with a lighter tone. “It means a lot that you guys are willing to help out with this.” 

He was about to continue when a stray thought crossed his mind. “Hey, you guys were in a Prison base, right?” His eyes widened a fraction, and the young man leaped to his feet. “This is Clint’s home. Don’t you think this would be this first place that they’d look?” His voice rose, arms gesturing around. After many years of hunting down criminals and metahumans, the first place checked is their place of residence. “It may be off the grid, but once the police know you’ve escaped they’d check your home first.” Barry gave them all a wide-eye look. 

“We are not safe here.”

________

Just as Clint opened his mouth to explain the whole safe house S.H.I.E.L.D situation, the sound of a loud, whirring engine pierced the air. Everyone on the porch turned their heads and looked out at the rolling fields. Nearly one half of a mile away, a quinjet landed on the grassy field.

Immediately, Clint jumped off the porch and ran to his family who were still in the garden, and took them inside to the secure basement. Steve stepped off the porch and watched the quinjet unload a large S.W.A.T. team. The team advanced towards the house, guns held at the ready.

They were surrounding someone, protecting whoever it was. Once they were standing only a hundred feet away from the house, Steve could see the person in the middle. Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross.

“Mr. Rogers, we need you and the others to come with us,” he stated.

“You and I both know it won’t be that easy,” Steve said in a low, warning tone.

“I know,” Thaddeus sighed, “That’s why I brought back up.”

Thaddeus and the S.W.A.T. team retreated to the side of the quinjet. A few moments later, Iron Man began walking down the ramp protruding from the aircraft. Following closely behind were Black Widow, Black Panther, Vision, and the young hero-in-training Spider-Man.

A scowl settled on Steve’s face as they approached. He didn’t want to face off again, but he didn’t want to go down without a fight. This was going to be very, very difficult.

“Do we have to fight them again? I dunno how much help I’ll be without the suit,” Scott said as he anxiously stared at the approaching heroes.

“Let’s try to resolve it peacefully first,” Steve said.

“Peacefully my ass,” Sam snorted in disbelief.

“Steve, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I’m sure neither of us want to do this the easy way,” Tony called out to Steve through his mask.

“Let’s get ready for a fight then,” Steve said, eyes trained on his old friend.

~~~~

A certain Barry Allen wasn’t quite mentally prepared for the large squad of people that were sent to apprehend the other heroes. Well, and him, since he helped prisoners escape a prison base. Most likely a person of interest as well. An uncertain look was passed from him to the others. While Barry couldn’t share Scott’s sentiment about not having his suit--as he did, it was still on him--Barry did appreciate the hesitance to fight. It wasn’t the Flash’s battle. He knew that. 

That being said, Barry also knew that if he wanted help getting home, Steve and his band of heroes would be his best bet. After all, they had already agreed to help him, and they seemed like honest and good people. Most of the time, Barry was a good judge of character. Well, most of the time. There was no reason to think about Wells and Jay--Hunter.

Eyes set on the group approaching, the young man pulled his hood on. Out of the group next to him, Barry definitely looked the flashiest. A man in a robot suit spoke to Steve, it’s mask looking intimidating. “He looks kinda like A.T.O.M. Can he shrink too?” Barry pondered, watching Tony with intent eyes. It definitely looked better than Ray’s suit, and assumed it would protect the user better. 

From there, Barry’s eyes skimmed the group. One deadly looking assassin, a man in black that scared Barry for a half second because it looked slightly like Zoom from the distance--although he had cat ears at a second glance--,a short young seeming kid in a blue and red onesie. Then a man in red...but he looked all red with some kind of glowing rock at his forehead. How odd. Another alien? Like Supergirl perhaps?

The Flash narrowed his eyes and cast a glance Steve’s way. “I can subdue the S.W.A.T. Teams, I'll leave you Avengers to your quarrels. It isn’t my battle.” He paused before giving them a careful look. “We don’t want any casualties, right?” Barry left before getting an answer. A mere blur appeared before their eyes. No doubt confusing the poor S.W.A.T. Team that tried to hold their own with the fastest man alive. 

Or that was what Barry thought.

Halfway through his spree of tying unknowing government workers to random immovable objects, Barry felt his head go light. Immediately, he recognized it as his issue that he had during his first few days as the Flash. His glucose levels were critically low. So low that he would pass out. Ten thousand calories a day was his quota. Due to everything with his father and Zoom, Barry hadn’t eaten in over 24 hours. Especially with having used a lot of energy to accidentally open a breach out of his attempt to time travel, Barry wasn’t too shocked when he toppled over in the middle of the field. 

His head hit the grass, and the sound of footsteps from the few remaining S.W.A.T. soldiers thundered in his ears. 

“Damn it…” Barry groaned, pulling himself up. He couldn't walk, yet barely run. Even a normal speed was out. The first of the three remaining had a gun pointed at him from a distance, the second came up to his side for a punch, the third was close behind the second. The best thing was that Barry could still assess his situation fairly fast. Even without his speed he could hold his own. Thanks to a bit of training from Oliver--the Arrow. 

The slowed speedster redirected the punch in normal time and sent an elbow to the side of the man’s face. He stumbled away, leaving the third to throw a punch his way. Barry went to redirect it again, but another wave of lightheadedness hit him before the punch did. 

For the second time that day, the world went black.

_____

Steve turned to look at Barry when the young man spoke, but all he saw was a blur of red before the young man was on the ground, groaning. Steve turned back to face Tony, assuming Barry could handle himself.

Wanda used energy to shove Tony out of the way. Black Panther pounced immediately on Sam, who tried to run away. Spider-Man used his webbing to tie up Scott, rendering the man useless as he struggled on the ground. Steve rushed to Scott’s aid, but was stopped by a blast of webbing towards his arms.

“Wanda!” Steve called out to get the girl’s attention.

She turned and threw Spider-Man back a few hundred feet. Steve broke free from the webbing and worked on wrenching it off Scott. Vision had begun to steadily rise off the ground and Wanda forced him back down. Tony got up and flew towards Steve, who had just finished freeing Scott.

Steve ducked just in time as Tony’s repulsors shot towards him. The repulsor beamed straight into the house and left a sizeable hole in the wall. Scott scrambled to his feet and charged towards Black Widow, who had been standing in the same position, hesitant to join the fight.

Steve got on the porch and yanked an armrest off the rocking chair. Tony fired a repulsor at him again and he dodged it as he vaulted off the porch. Wanda managed to start forcing Vision into the ground, and Scott was getting his ass kicked by Black Widow. Sam and Black Panther were still fighting, and had been matching each other blow for blow for a while.

Raising his arm high, Steve threw the piece of wood at Tony and it hit his left foot. The flight repulsor broke and Tony fell ungracefully, desperately trying to use only one repulsor to keep himself in the air. Steve ran to him. He ripped the faceplate off the suit and looked at the face of his former friend.

“Didn’t think we’d have to go through this again, huh?” Tony snarked.

“What are you doing here? I thought this was over with,” Steve responded.

“It is. Just gotta put on a show for our good friend Thaddeus.”

“Well then, we’ll do just that.”

Tony lurched upwards and slammed Steve to the ground. Steve laid there, slightly dazed and pretending to give up. He glanced around at the others to see how they were faring. Scott had been knocked out cold, Sam seemed to be on the edge of defeat, and Wanda was trying to fight Spider-Man. 

A minute passed and Sam was knocked out by Black Panther. Wanda was struggling in her fight; Spider-Man was fast and it was hard for her to focus on using energy against him. Eventually, he managed to tie her hands together in a very thick layer of webbing. She fell to her knees and looked at the others on her team. 

Clint ran out from inside his house, bow drawn. He loosed three arrows at once, each one hitting a S.W.A.T. officer. Black Panther and Spider-Man simultaneously started towards the archer, but were quickly stopped with an explosive arrow that knocked them back a few hundred feet.

Black Widow ran toward Clint. The archer prepared to shoot another arrow, but hesitated. His red-haired friend stopped a few feet in front of him. He lowered his bow. Black Widow walked closer and discreetly whispered something in his ear before incapacitating him with a solid punch to the jaw.

The S.W.A.T. team picked up the defeated heroes one by one, putting them in secure containment units on the quinjet. Steve tried his best to seem as solemn and defeated as the others. He wanted to tell his friends that it was alright, that this was all part of a plan, but he couldn’t. He had to keep up the facade.

The quinjet’s engine started and it began to rise in the air. Steve hoped for many things as the aircraft started its journey. He hoped that Clint’s family was okay and that the S.W.A.T. team wouldn’t try to find them. He hoped that Tony wasn’t lying to them. He hoped that he could help Barry get back to his home. And most of all, he hoped that his teammates would forgive him.

~~~~

The scarlet speedster woke up to restraints around his body, a container with glass windows and guards placed at all sides. Outside his container, the walls of the large room was a dazzling industrial white. He rolled his head upwards, which was the only thing that he could move outside of his fingers and toes. At that movement, he noticed IVs hanging nearby. An astonishing number of them. Forty if he counted correctly.

Barry remembered an event like this before. Cisco and Caitlyn had to give him food through IVs in order to sustain his Glucose levels to the proper amount. Thanks to his metabolism, they needed around the same amount hanging by his side. At least his captures got that right.. It seemed wherever he was, they were aware of his power’s consumption of energy. Which means that they had done tests of some sort. Barry was not too worried about that--considering it was not his world-- his identity was not important. Nothing would have shown up in their database anyways. Barry shouldn’t exist.

Tired eyes rolled away from the IVs and to his hands. They vibrated, welcoming the return of energy. Barry had his powers back. A movement out of the corner of his eye made him look up. A man in a snazzy looking suit strolled in, one hand carrying a Manila folder, and the other in his pocket.

“You can leave, I can handle him,” the man waved the guards away. He sat on a chair placed ten feet from the containment unit and quietly glanced at the contents of the folder.

“So we’ve run a few tests on you, not very extensive ones, but we found out quite a bit. It seems you have regenerative powers, and if I remember correctly, you can move at superhuman speed. Your body seems to require a lot of glucose to keep up with these processes. We’ve also taken your fingerprints and looked you up on every database we have access to, but nothing matches up; it’s almost like you don’t exist. So tell me, who exactly are you?” he closed the folder and watched the young man carefully

.

Barry’s eyes did not leave the an with the impressively styled facial hair. The speedster was already aware of everything that the man had to say. Aside from the finger prints--but that didn’t cause him too much distress. Even if he did want to keep his presence on this Earth on the down low… The fact that they were not able to track him was not shocking either. The younger of the two stared back, a mute frown stared back. There were dark circles under his eyes. If they were any indication after all he had been through. He was tired. 

He answered slowly, “It’s complicated. I’ve already explained this plenty of times already, so I don’t feel like explaining again. If you get super curious, I’m sure Steve could try to explain it.” His eyes did not waver at the slight tilt of his head. “You are Tony. Aren’t you? Steve explained quite a bit on the way to Clint’s house.” The man broke the man’s gaze to look behind. The guards had left the room. “If you really must know, I’m from Earth, but-- not your Earth.” Was a cryptic response from Barry, his eyes glancing down at his hand. “The name is Barry, but I am otherwise known as The Flash.” 

“Well Barry, or the Flash or whatever, you seem to know quite a bit about what’s going on. I’ve tried talking to Steve and the others, but they’ve been silent so far. I don’t understand what you mean by another Earth, think you could clarify?” Tony glanced around the room to make sure they were alone before he got up and walked over to a small control panel in the wall. He clicked a few buttons and walked back over to face Barry.

“We’ve got a few minutes before they turn the cameras back on, so let’s do this quickly. Steve and I have a plan, and I guess now you’re a part of it. We’re working on a way to get him and the others out of here, and we can help you too. I just need to know why you were with them,” Tony stood only ten inches from the glass barrier of the small prison, his features drawn with worry. 

The boy’s eyes went wide for a long moment, before gathering his posture again. “Have you ever heard of the Multiverse Theory?”

“No.”

A frown crossed Barry’s lips. This man seemed to know more about science than the others. Maybe it was too much to assume that he would know. “Okay, well. The multiverse is a set of hypothetically infinite or finite universes--yet to be determined. Each has practically something that is all the same to each other. That is-- until a certain point in history where something was changed.” Barry thought for a long moment before hurrying on. “Basically they are called Parallel or Alternate universes. What we know about all of this is that all these earths occupy the same space and time. Except the fact that we all vibrate at a different frequency so thus, we cannot hear see or touch each other. I assume you are understanding this.” The Flash rolled his head and began using his hands to explain. “A friend of mine, Professor Martin Stein had an idea about time traveling, or dimension hopping.” 

A line was drawn with his pointer finger in a horizontal line. “Time is like a highway, and the times that we live in are between the on and off ramps. So, hypothetically, I could--for a lack of a better term-- punch my way into the time stream by going fast enough.” The Flash’s eyes dropped to the door in front of him and a confused look crossed his face. “I had done it before. Plenty of times. But it seems something went amiss this time around. I appeared in your world while Steve was freeing his friends.” He looked up at Tony with a small smile. “Now I’m here. How does that sound?” 

“Sounds… complicated. But we don’t have time to worry about that. Why are you still with them if this isn’t even your Earth?” Tony asked, his brow furrowing.

“I can’t get back.” Barry answered simply. “It isn’t as easy as time traveling.”

“Steve promised he’d help you, didn’t he?” Tony shook his head, “That man is too nice for his own good.”

Barry raised a brow skeptically. “So you are all good with the whole ‘other worlds’ thing?”

“In my line of work, it’s not the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of. I suppose we need to work in the whole ‘help you get back to your Earth’ thing into the plan now, huh?” Tony said.

A small chuckle escaped the man in red. “I can get behind that.” Realizing their lack of time, he quickly sobered up and forced a smile. “That would be preferable, Mr. Stark.”

“You’re lucky I owe Steve a favor,” Tony flashed a quick smile and turned around, “Well, if you refuse to cooperate, I guess we’ll just have to take you in,” he said it almost too loudly, making sure the cameras heard him. He left the room with nothing but one last wink at Barry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any ooc bits; this is my first time working with many of these characters. Also, tiny bit of a spoiler, not all of the Avengers are going to be present throughout the entire fic (it's too much of a workload). It's gonna pick up some more soon, I promise!

**Author's Note:**

> This is a collab piece I'm working on with my friend—she wrote the parts from Barry's POV and I wrote the ones from Steve's POV. We'll try to keep a regular posting schedule as much as possible. Check out our group account on fanfiction.net, TeamMultiverse. Leave comments/kudos if you enjoyed and want to see more!


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